Coleus plant named ‘UF20-144-1’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) plant named ‘UF20-144-1’ having a combination of desirable traits that make it well-suited for good performance as an annual plant in the summer landscape. ‘UF20-144-1’ has consistent foliage color patterning and fast growth rate and vigor in the greenhouse and landscape. UF20-144-1 has foliage that is predominantly yellow green with well-defined dark red colored leaf bases and pinstripes around the entire leaf margin. ‘UF20-144-1’ maintains its bright foliage color in a broad range of environmental conditions. It is a vigorous plant that can easily grow five feet tall in the landscape in one season, maintaining consistent color in both sun and shade. It is upright and spreading in habit, but it is highly branched and uniform, and grows wider than it does tall.

Genus and species: Coleus scutellarioides.

Cultivar denomination: ‘UF20-144-1’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLCIATIONS

N/A.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FEDERAL RESEARCH SUPPORT

N/A.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Coleus plant named ‘UF20-144-1’. The new cultivar ‘UF20-144-1’ originated from an open pollination conducted in May-November 2019 in Citra, Fla. between the female Coleus plant ‘UF18-54-3’ (unpatented) and an unknown male Coleus plant. A single seedling was chosen in May 2020 for further asexual propagation in Gainesville, Fla.

The new cultivar ‘UF20-144-1’ has been reproduced asexually for over 18 months through vegetative meristem tip cuttings and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations. ‘UF20-144-1’ was first propagated asexually by vegetative meristem tip cuttings in May 2020 in Gainesville, Fla., and has remained true-to-type since that time.

Plant Breeder's Rights for the new cultivar ‘UF20-144-1’ have not been applied for, and ‘UF20-144-1’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.

When compared to the female parent ‘UF18-54-3’, the new cultivar ‘UF20-144-1’ has large leaves that are longer than they are wide. Leaves of ‘UF20-144-1’ are predominantly yellow green, having fine pinstriped margins and accents at the leaf base colored dark red. In contrast, ‘UF18-54-3’ has leaves that are of equal size and shape to ‘UF20-144-1’, but they are uniformly yellow green colored across the entire leaf surface. ‘UF20-144-1’ and ‘UF18-54-3’ plants both have a similar vigorous, upright and spreading growth habit.

The new cultivar ‘UF20-144-1’ was selected for its consistent well-branched habit and bright yellow green foliage color. It has uniformly sized leaves with fine dark red pinstripes around the entire leaf margin and red accents at the leaf base. ‘UF20-144-1’ is a vigorous cultivar in the landscape that quickly establishes in both sun and shade conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar ‘UF20-144-1’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, light intensity, fertilization, irrigation, and application of plant growth regulators without any change in genotype.

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of ‘UF20-144-1’ when grown under normal horticultural practices in Gainesville, Fla.: ‘UF20-144-1’ has the combination of vigorous, upright and spreading growth habit, excellent heat tolerance, and consistent yellow green and dark red colored leaves that are significantly different than other Coleus plants; is has superior stability in foliage color in both sun and shade conditions, maintaining stable color in all conditions; it has vigorous growth with excellent lateral branching, making it suitable for propagators and producers; and ‘UF20-144-1’ has been observed to have long-season performance in landscape trials in Gainesville, Fla.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

This new Coleus cultivar ‘UF20-144-1’ is illustrated by the accompanying photographs, which show the plant's form and foliage. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. FIGS. 2-5 were taken from plants grown eight weeks from unrooted cuttings in July-September 2022 in a glass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla.

FIG. 1 shows the pedigree of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF20-144-1’ as shown and described herein;

FIG. 2 shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of the new Coleus cultivar;

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the foliage of the new Coleus cultivar;

FIG. 4 shows the adaxial side of an immature leaf (left) and a mature leaf (right) of the new Coleus cultivar, with corresponding R.H.S. color designations; and

FIG. 5 shows the abaxial side of an immature leaf (left) and a mature leaf (right) of the new Coleus cultivar, with corresponding R.H.S. color designations.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CULTIVAR

Foliage color was determined under full sun conditions in the middle of the day in a glass-covered greenhouse. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 2007 5th Edition. Coleus leaves are rarely one solid color but encompass hues, shades and tints, and color patterns differ from one genotype to another due to varying levels of variegation. The following detailed description of ‘UF20-144-1’ was obtained using ten-week-old plants grown from unrooted cuttings in February-April 2022 in a glass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla. The plants were propagated in mist for ten days after cuttings were stuck, then grown in one-gallon pots for approximately eight and a half additional weeks.

Botanical Description

-   Botanical classification:     -   -   Family.—Lamiaceae.         -   Botanical name.—Coleus scutellarioides.         -   Common name.—Coleus.         -   Cultivar.—‘UF20-144-1’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female or seed parent.—‘UF18-54-3’.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Unknown. -   Plant description:     -   -   Habit.—Upright and spreading.         -   Height (from top of soil).—35-40 cm.         -   Width (horizontal plant diameter).—65-70 cm. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristems having at least 1 node.         -   Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days.         -   Root habit.—Fibrous.         -   Root description.—Callus forms in 2-3 days, roots initiate             in 3-4 days and become a highly branched cutting in 7-10             days. -   Branches:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—Approximately 12.         -   Branch color.—RHS 59A (dark red).         -   Texture.—Smooth.         -   Pubescence.—Not present.         -   Stem description.—Square-shaped stem.         -   Branch diameter.—0.7-0.8 cm at the base of a 30-cm-long             branch.         -   Branch length.—30-35 cm.         -   Internode length.—4.0-4.5 cm measured at mid-branch.         -   Anthocyanin.—RHS 59A (dark red). -   Foliage description:     -   -   Quantity of leaves per branch.—20-21.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Fragrance.—Not fragrant.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Length.—11-12 cm.         -   Width.—7-8 cm.         -   Apex.—Broadly acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Crenate.         -   Leaf texture.—Upper surface: Pulverulent. Lower surface:             Smooth.         -   Venation color.—Upper surface, apex: RHS N144C (yellow             green). Upper surface, base: RHS 59A (dark red). Lower             surface, main veins: RHS 145C (yellow green) and RHS 59A             (dark red). Lower surface, minor veins: RHS 59A (dark red).         -   Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Reticulate. Lower surface:             Reticulate.         -   Color, immature leaf.—Upper surface, major color: RHS N144C             (yellow green). Upper surface, margins: RHS 59A (dark red).             Upper surface, base: RHS 183A (dark red). Lower surface,             major color: RHS 142A (yellow green). Lower surface,             margins: RHS 59A (dark red). Lower surface, base: small             amount of RHS 59A (dark red).         -   Color, mature leaf.—Upper surface, major color: RHS N144C             (yellow green). Upper surface, margins: RHS 59A (dark red).             Upper surface, base: RHS 183A (dark red). Lower surface,             major color: RHS 143C (yellow green). Lower surface,             margins: RHS 59A (dark red). Lower surface, base: RHS 59A             (dark red).         -   Petiole length.—3.5-4.0 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm.         -   Petiole color.—RHS 59A (dark red).         -   Petiole texture.—Smooth, no pubescence. -   Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed to date     during formal trials in Gainesville, Fla. -   Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed. -   Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is     typical of the species, thus no claims are made of any superior     disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common     insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Fla. have been     long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus spp.), which occur on     older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over 3-4     months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been     observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops     (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella     occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the U.S.     is downy mildew (Perononspora lamii). This pathogen has been     observed in stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing     seasons.

Comparison with Known Cultivars

When the new cultivar ‘UF20-144-1’ is compared to the commercial cultivar ‘UF17-92-7’ (unpatented, commercial name “Royale Pineapple Brandy”), ‘UF20-144-1’ has mature leaves that are yellow green with a prominent dark red coloration along the base of the leaf on the upper surface, whereas ‘UF17-92-7’ has leaves that are more solidly yellow green with little to no dark red coloration along the base of the leaf on the upper surface. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Coleus scutellarioides plant named ‘UF20-144-1’ as shown and described herein. 